An Amber Waterfall
by heartsn'minds
Summary: Even possessed, Stiles can't bring himself to hurt Lydia. "Run away little banshee," he taunts, "run away while you still can," and then he turns and attacks Allison - even though Lydia was the one holding the crossbow this time.


Even possessed, Stiles can't bring himself to hurt Lydia. "Run away little banshee," he taunts, "run away while you still can," and then he turns and attacks Allison - even though Lydia was the one holding the crossbow this time.

She's wide eyed and everything moves in slow motion before Lydia manages to fumble with the damn crossbow, quickly pulling the trigger as soon as she's sure she'll hit some part of the Nogitsune. Maybe it's dumb, blind luck but the silver tipped arrow actually hits the demon full on the back and he lets out an inhuman cry before turning, throwing the already unconscious Allison onto the ground before he faces her.

"Tsk, tsk, didn't your mother ever tell you not to look a gift horse in the mouth?" the Nogitsune demands, stalking towards her as he yanks the arrow from his back, allowing a hiss of pain to escape his lips as he does so. "I offered you freedom - a chance to run…and instead you shoot me on the back with an arrow."

Had it not been the Nogitsune speaking, Lydia would have been sure there was a hint of hurt in his voice. Banishing that thought away, the strawberry blonde quickly reloaded the crossbow, ready to shoot again if necessary.

The demon laughs at her sense of self preservation and mockingly shakes his head. "You know, he always thought you were so clever - working on definite integral equations and throwing yourself into applied biochemistry…but you obviously have very little common sense if you're still standing here trying to take me on."

Lydia's eyes narrow (and she ignores the flutter in her heart at the Nogitsune's words because at that moment, she'd give anything to hear her Stiles tease her about the Riemann Sum or demanding she dance with him again), and she hoists the crossbow closer to herself. "You're obviously really stupid if you think I'm just going to abandon two of my friends here without even trying to help them. I'm not some ice queen whose beliefs of self preservation override common human decency." she spits out and she can tell the Nogitsune is pleased with her spunk and courage because he's suddenly quite interested in staring at her, eyeing her from head to toe.

He takes in the dark blue heels (Jimmy Choo) and the strapless white eyelet lace summer dress (Anthropologie) she's wearing that's now torn and dirtied. He takes in her gold bangles and gold rings (he doesn't miss that they are the very same ones Stiles gave to her for her birthday all those months ago); her long strawberry blonde curls are tangled and unruly from running through the woods and in that moment, Lydia Martin has never looked so beautiful. So fearless. So…alive.

The Nogitsune knows that's exactly what Stiles is thinking because the boy projects his thoughts (especially when it comes to the petite fair skinned beauty) louder than anyone else the demon has ever come into contact with. A sneer forms on his face when Stiles's own emotions begin to seep into contact with his and so, he quickly pushes the human boy further back, tightening his grip on his host body as his gaze turns cold.

Without any warning the Nogitsune runs towards Lydia and within seconds, his hand is tight around her throat and her back is pressed up against a tree, her feet dangling a good two inches from the ground. A vicious snarl appears on the demon's face and his eyes are alight with anger, darkness, and…satisfaction.

Lydia wants to slap the damned monster for ever making her Stiles's countenance look so horrific and she wants to kill the blasted spirit once and for all but right now, she concedes, she can barely even breath.

"You would be the easiest one to kill, you know that?" the Nogitsune asks mockingly, "you're a banshee, yes, but what gift do you have other than a scream that can pierce a thousand years? You're not a werewolf and you're certainly not a hunter like your dark haired friend - you possess neither the capability for destruction nor is your heart willing to hold onto any hatred for too long." his grip tightens just a bit more and Lydia is seeing black spots light the dark canopy of trees above her.

She feels dizzy and she can feel her body shutting down on her. Fragments of memories pierce her mind but all she can really bring herself to recognize are the ones with Stiles - from his first foolhardy attempt to ask her out at the hospital right down to the moment she pressed her lips against his, kissing to take away his anxiety. His fear. His pain.

She wants so badly to kiss him again and almost unconsciously, her hands rise up and brush against Stiles's (or is it the Nogitsune's?) hands, her soft fingertips caressing the rough coldness of his (because Lydia's unsure what to call him now) skin.

And suddenly she drops down to the ground, landing on her knees, her lungs inhaling at such a pace that it physically hurts her chest.

"But because I am in_ this_ body…you are also the most difficult," the Nogitsune mutters to himself, a slight wonderment in his voice that is edged with fierce disappointment and bitter dissatisfaction. "He loves you," the demon snarls out as Lydia raises her head to look at him, the darkness in his eyes are clouded over with an emotion her muddled brain cannot comprehend. Confusion, perhaps? "You…a weak human that I cannot bring myself to end…all because the boy loves you. His hold is virtually nonexistent but when it comes to you…when it comes to you his control is like a vice."

"Good," Lydia breathes out, her voice is shaky and it honestly hurts to talk but she's going to. "As long as he can fight, so can we."

The demon scoffs.

"And what will you do when all your friends fall in the attempt and there is only you left standing? What will you do then?"

"Fight until my own dying breath," she shoots back fiercely. "I won't ever give up on Stiles because I know he won't ever give up when it comes to me. He'll fight and fight, even when it seems hopeless because that's who Stiles is and that's what love is."

Love. There is no pause of surprise because Lydia doesn't even find herself mildly astounded when she realizes that she loves Stiles.

_It's been a long time coming, _she muses inwardly.

The Nogitsune suddenly laughs, snapping Lydia from her revere as she turns a hateful glare towards the beast whose stolen her Stiles away. The demon leans down towards her, tilting her chin up with his index finger and for the first time, Lydia registers genuine amusement in his eyes.

She suddenly feels sick.

"Don't you know?" the demon whispers, "the boy can't let you go - foolish thing he is. He'll sacrifice himself ten times over just to keep you alive. You see," he murmurs, tucking a lock of strawberry blonde hair behind her ear, "he won't give you a chance to be valiant because he'd rather you be kept by the monster rather than perish for all eternity." and with that, Lydia feels the lightest of kisses pressed to her forehead before her eyes snap open…

…and the Nogitsune is gone.

* * *

**A/N: Stiles/Lydia. Just because I've fallen crazy in love with this pairing. And yes, I cried like a baby when Allison died. So in this story, she hasn't been killed yet. **

**Title comes from Aberjhani's 'Visions of a Skylark Dressed in Black'. **


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